Hanoi is the site of the Computer Training Center and also the headquarters for Orphan Impact operations countrywide. Hanoi is an exciting place to volunteer because of the constant whirl of activity. With regular visits from government officials in the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Science & Technology, and Ministry of Social Affairs, as well as Directors from various orphanages throughout the 64 provinces of Vietnam coming to see examples of the Orphan Impact education program in action, volunteers have the opportunity to see the many ways that this program is influencing and impacting orphan education policies at the highest levels of the Vietnamese government. Additionally, the Orphan Impact staff and volunteers are constantly monitoring and interacting with children from our partner orphanages in other parts of the country, as well as providing afternoon computer training to visiting orphan children from among 6 nearby Hanoi orphanages.

Volunteers choosing to assist Orphan Impact in Hanoi have the opportunity to work in one of two key areas:

• Volunteers in the computer lab will interact directly with orphan children as they are learning basic computer tools and modern day web use. No teaching experience is required but volunteers will need to spend time before class preparing for the lesson so they are ready to offer direction to children who may require extra support.
• Volunteers in the Admin & Ops office will assist the Orphan Impact leadership team in more successfully promoting the project vision and goals to the Vietnamese government, prospective partner orphanages, local and international grant-making foundations, and individual donors. Volunteers will need to specific experience in areas of impact.

Volunteer Positions Available: Web Developer (1 position); Graphic Designer (1 position); Software Engineer/Programmer (1 position); Photographer (1 position); Curriculum Development (1 position); Teacher (2 positions).

Housing: Housing is on-site. The Orphan Impact headquarters is a 6 floor building with 4 bedrooms reserved for volunteers. The rooms are new, with modern décor, and in-room bathrooms and showers. On the 2nd floor there is a volunteer lounge with cable television, DVD library, full kitchen, comfortable couches, and wireless internet. Meals are served in the lounge area. Minimum Volunteer Term: 1 week

Preferred Volunteer Term: 2-4 weeks

Getting There: Volunteers will be met at Noibai International Airport in Hanoi and driven 30-minutes to the Orphan Impact headquarters.

The orphanages in Lai Chau and Quang Tri are remote and provide volunteers a great opportunity to see how Intel powered Classmate PCs and internet connectivity provide a highly motivational tool in inspiring orphan children to consider their futures beyond and outside the orphanage. Five days each week the school-age children living in these orphanages visit the Orphan Impact computer lab after their classes at the nearby public school have finished. Based of the individual orphanage usage schedule, the children participate anywhere from 3 times each week to 5 times each week, for periods of time ranging from 30 to 90 minutes per session. The children generally use the computers in groups of 3 children per computer.

Volunteers choosing to assist Orphan Impact in the Lai Chau or Quang Tri orphanage programs will have the opportunity to work in the following capacity:

• Manage and monitor the after-school computer program by helping the children to stay on task and follow the assigned curriculum. Volunteers will be asked to prepare for each class, help the children to troubleshoot any potential problems, answer any questions the kids have as they navigate the learning exercises, and provide 2 reports each week to the Orphan Impact headquarters in Hanoi.

Volunteer Positions Available: Teacher (2 positions)

Housing: Housing is off-site 2km to 5km from the orphanage, depending on the location. Orphan Impact rents a 3-bedroom apartment in the town centers of both Quang Tri and Lai Chau. Each volunteer has a private bedroom and a shared bathroom. Meals are delivered at set times throughout the day. The apartment is equipped with hot water showers, wireless internet, refrigerator, purified drinking water, cleaning service, and a full-time security guard.

Minimum Volunteer Term: 1 month

Preferred Volunteer Term: 1-3 months

1-month Volunteer Schedule:
1) 3 days in Hanoi;
2) 24 days in Lai Chau or Quang Tri;
3) 3 days in Hanoi.

Getting There: Volunteers will be met at the international airports in Hanoi and driven to the Orphan Impact headquarters. Volunteers serving in Quang Tri will fly from Hanoi to Hue and then be driven 90 minutes by car to the orphanage. Volunteers serving in Lai Chau will take a 10-hour train from Hanoi to Lao Cai and then be driven 4 hours to the orphanage.

The combination volunteer option is best suited for individuals who are seeking longer term volunteer placements and are open to living, working, and traveling in and among challenging conditions. Though the Orphan Impact staff is always available and works hard to make the conditions as nice as possible, long-term volunteers should be prepared to be flexible. It is likely that long-term volunteers could experience inclement weather, power outages, internet service outages, computer breakdowns, travel interruptions, culturally rooted mis-communication, and sickness, among other challenges. Orphan Impact will select applicants for these position who have strong letters of reference and demonstrate a high willingness to jump into the local culture and adapt to their surroundings.

Volunteers choosing to assist Orphan Impact in a 3-month combination placement in Hanoi, Lai Chau, and Quang Tri will have the opportunity to work in the following capacities:

• Manage and monitor the after-school computer program by helping the children to stay on task and follow the assigned curriculum.
• Volunteers will be asked to prepare for each class, help the children to troubleshoot any potential problems, answer any questions the kids have as they navigate the learning exercises, and provide 2 reports each week to the Orphan Impact headquarters in Hanoi.

Volunteer Positions Available: Teacher (2 positions)

Housing: Housing is off-site 2km from the orphanage. Orphan Impact rents a 3-bedroom apartment in the town centers of both Quang Tri and Lai Chau. Each volunteer has a private bedroom and a shared bathroom. Meals are delivered at set times throughout the day. The apartment is equipped with hot water showers, wireless internet, refrigerator, purified drinking water, cleaning service, and a full-time security guard.

Minimum Volunteer Term: 3 months

Preferred Volunteer Term: 3-6 months

3-month Volunteer Schedule:
1) 15 days in Hanoi;
2) 30 days in Quang Tri;
3) 30 days in Lai Chau;
4) 15 days in Hanoi.

Getting There: Volunteers will be met at the international airports in Hanoi and driven to the Orphan Impact headquarters.

Two times each year (March & June) Orphan Impact hosts 8-person teams in Vietnam for a 9-day guided volunteer excursion. Teams depart the United States on a Friday evening and return to the United States on Sunday the following week. Orphan Impact will work with each team to select the specific region of Vietnam, arrange specific orphanages** and suitable volunteer projects, and set-up the 9-day itinerary.

• The dates are intentionally selected to coincide with region specific Spring Break in March and Summer Holiday in June several weeks after school breaks for the summer. 
• Teams may consist of pre-arranged 8-person groups (for example purposes) of college students, Vietnamese adoptees*, adoptive parents, Vietnamese-Americans, church groups, etc. who all know each other and travel together from the United States to Vietnam.
• Alternatively, individuals may register to be part of an 8-person team and members will travel separately to Hanoi and meet for the first time on Day 1.

*Volunteers must be at least 15 years old and minors must be accompanied by a parent/guardian.
**All orphanages must already be participating orphanages in the Orphan Impact project.

Applications and volunteer dates for placement in Hanoi are accepted on a rolling basis. Hanoi offers the most flexible placement and can accommodate varying numbers of volunteers at any given time. Volunteer placements will be made on an ongoing basis from March through November in 2010.
Application Deadline: 30 days before proposed start date.

There are 8 available calendar options for volunteering in the orphanages in Quang Tri or Lai Chau. Each date has 2 available volunteer positions.

Volunteer Dates April 1-30 Application Deadline March 15 Volunteer Dates May 1-31 Application Deadline April 1 Volunteer Dates June 1-30 Application Deadline May 1 Volunteer Dates July 1-30 Application Deadline June 1 Volunteer Dates August 1-31 Application Deadline July 1 Volunteer Dates September 1-30 Application Deadline August 1 Volunteer Dates October 1-31 Application Deadline September 1 Volunteer Dates November 1-30 Application Deadline October 1

There are 2 available calendar options for long-term volunteer placement. Each date has 2 available volunteer positions.

Volunteer Dates April 1-June 30 Application Deadline March 15 Volunteer Dates July 1-September 30 Application Deadline June 1

There are 2 available calendar options for group travel as part of an Impact Team. Each date has 8 available volunteer positions.

Group Travel Dates March 5-14 Application Deadline December 15, 2009 Group Travel Dates June 18-June 27 Application Deadline March 30